Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

49783

registered interest
date	06/05/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to protect consumers from fraud and other doorstep crimes.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	197891
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes doorstep crime very seriously and the issue has been identified as a top priority by the Consumer Protection Partnership (CPP) which brings together enforcement, consumer education, and advocacy partners to identify, prioritise and coordinate collective action to tackle the issues causing greatest harm to consumers.</p><p> </p><p>Both the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and Trading Standards Scotland (TSS), which are funded by BIS, are putting resources into tackling doorstep crime and Trading Standards Officers across the country are cracking down on these fraudsters. In Lincolnshire for example, Trading Standards has teamed up with the Police and Community Lincs to raise awareness of doorstep crime amongst professionals caring for the elderly, including awareness of bogus callers, rogue traders, distraction burglary, and scam mail. To date 330 health and social care professionals who work regularly with 4,300 elderly and vulnerable people have been trained in how to spot potential victims and how to intervene at an early stage of a scam.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Doorstep Crime will also be the focus on this year's National Consumer Week in November 2014, when CPP Partners and the Government will work together to in raise consumer awareness of how to spot a bogus salesperson and where to report it.</p><p> </p><p>We are also hitting the perpetrators of fraud hard. A recent operation involving Trading Standards companies across the country and 20 police forces brought down a trio of fraudsters targeting vulnerable caravan park residents across the country. This resulted in 6 years of custodial sentences being handed down and the recovery of £20,000 in cash.</p><p> </p><p>We encourage anyone who believes that they have been the victim of doorstep crime or fraud to contact the Citizens Advice Consumer helpline on 08454 040506.</p> answering member constituency Cardiff Central answering member printed Jenny Willott question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1497 label Biography information for Jenny Willott
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

49784

registered interest
date	06/05/2014
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many contracted staff there are carrying out functions for his Department who are paid less than the Living Wage by (a) occupation, (b) location and (c) contractor.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	197971
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>DWP have discussed with contractors the payment of the London Living Wage. Telereal Trillium have worked with us so that from April 2014 all of their London based staff were paid at least the level of the living wage. Discussions are continuing with our other major contractor, Cofely.</p><p> </p><p>We intend to have the same negotiations regarding staff based across the regions where the situation is currently:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>REGION</p></td><td><p>NUMBER OF STAFF</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Scotland</p></td><td><p>539</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North East</p></td><td><p>309</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North West</p></td><td><p>885</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Yorks &amp; Humber</p></td><td><p>529</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Midlands</p></td><td><p>255</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Midlands</p></td><td><p>770</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Of England</p></td><td><p>252</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wales</p></td><td><p>279</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South East</p></td><td><p>366</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>London</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South West</p></td><td><p>307</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>TOTAL</p></td><td><p>4,493</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>It is not possible to provide further breakdown of these figures as this information is commercially sensitive.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning previous answer version 9759 answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

49560

registered interest
date	02/05/2014
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit budgeting advances were made between April 2013 and April 2014.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	197646
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>Budgeting support is available at the start of a Universal Credit claim. The requested information is not currently available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 08/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

49420

registered interest
date	01/05/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2014, Official Report, columns 526-7, on student visas, if she will publish details of the successful pilot with one university on ensuring overseas students return home once their course is completed.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	197624
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Foreign national students who had been served with an adverse immigration <br>decision were, at times, encountering a delay in receiving their travel <br>documents back from the Home Office. On occasion this resulted in their <br>immigration status changing to an overstayer. <br><br>The pilot referred to was conducted through an informal relationship between <br>the South Central Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) team and the <br>International Student Advisors embedded within two local Universities. Through <br>this link, those whose leave has been curtailed, have had an adverse decision, <br>or wish to depart the UK are provided with local assistance by the Immigration <br>Enforcement team. The pilot has enabled the local ICE team to facilitate the <br>return of travel documents quickly, resulting in an earlier departure for the <br>student. This has benefits for both the student and University as becoming an <br>overstayer could jeopardise future applications from students to continue their <br>studies. During 2013/14, fifty students were assisted in this way from two <br>Universities (this is local data taken from local records that has not been <br>sourced from an official database).<br><br>The Government is looking at how this example of local good practice can be <br>extended nationally.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire previous answer version 8887 answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

49219

registered interest
date	30/04/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of local authorities have higher than average not known rates for young people not in employment, education or training; and what steps he is taking to address such gaps in data.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	197255
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p>It is local authorities who are responsible for collecting data about the activity of young people in their area.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Education regularly publishes locally collected data on young people's activities, including the proportion of young people whose activity is not known. The latest quarterly figures covering young people of academic age 16 and 17 as at the end of December 2013 are available online at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/participation-in-education-and-training-by-local-authority. These include both the average for England and the figures for each local authority.</p><p> </p><p>The Department published statutory guidance in March 2013 setting out the requirement of local authorities to track young people's participation so that those who are not in education or training can be identified. The guidance is available online at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/participation-of-young-people-education-employment-and-training.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

48945

registered interest
date	29/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his plans are for the future of the disabled students' allowance; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	197154
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p>I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Written Statement I made on 7 April 2014, Official Report Col 1-2WS.</p> answering member constituency Havant answering member printed Mr David Willetts question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 53 label Biography information for Lord Willetts
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

48946

registered interest
date	29/04/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the final cost of the capital sum to be raised to finance High Speed 2 to (a) Birmingham and (b) Leeds and Manchester.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	197014
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The current estimated cost of the project is £42.6bn for Phase 1 and Phase 2 (including £14.4bn of contingency) and £7.5bn for rolling stock (including £1.7bn of contingency). This estimate is in 2011 prices and is at the P95 level, meaning at this early stage of the project there is a 95 percent confidence level that the project can be delivered for this cost.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

48947

registered interest
date	29/04/2014
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of staff members employed by contractors delivering the Work Programme are paid less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	197136
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Department does not hold the information requested.</p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

48769

registered interest
date	28/04/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of employees hired under the Employment Allowance Scheme are (a) employed on zero-hours contracts and (b) paid below the living wage as set by the Living Wage Foundation.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	196856
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2014 answer text <p><strong>The information requested is not available. </strong></p><p> </p><p><strong>The Employment Allowance is available to businesses and charities and is worth up to £2,000 off their total employer Class 1 National Insurance contributions (NICs) bill.</strong></p><p> </p><p><strong>Employers are likely to use the NICs savings from the allowance in a variety of ways. Research by the Federation of Small Businesses suggests that employers may use these savings to increase wages, employ more staff or invest in their business.</strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 01/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

48862

registered interest
date	28/04/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 396W, on courts, how many calls were made to higher rate telephone numbers for (a) magistrates' courts, (b) county courts and (c) the county court bulk centre in Northampton in each year since 2009; what the average duration was of calls to the higher-rate telephone numbers in each case in the most recent period for which figures are available; how much revenue was generated from such calls; which individual numbers are used for more than one court; and how many courts are covered by each of these numbers.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	196914
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>Information on volumes and durations for calls to higher-rate telephone numbers for magistrates' courts, county courts and the county court bulk centre in Northampton in each year since 2009 is not systematically collected by the service providers, and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.</p><p> </p><p>Between November 2013 to March 2014 the percentage of higher rate calls dropped significantly from 41% to 30% with the increasing use of 0300 numbers. This figure is set to drop even further as 19 higher rate numbers to the county court bulk centre are currently being replaced by 0300 numbers.</p><p> </p><p>During this period 137,763 calls to higher rate numbers were answered at the county court bulk centre with an average duration of 4 minutes 14 seconds. This figure represents 35% of all calls with the remainder being 0300 numbers.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has received no revenue from higher rate telephone numbers for the period under review.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The following individual numbers are used for more than one court:</p><p>0844 892 4000 is used by Basildon, Bury St Edmonds, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Kings Lyn, Norwich, Peterborough, Southend County Courts, and by Basildon, Chelmsford, Colchester, Harlow, Southend Magistrates' Courts.</p><p> </p><p>0844 892 0550 is used by Bedford, Luton, Hertford, St Albans, Watford County Courts.</p><p> </p><p>0845 300 4239 is used by Aylesbury, Banbury, Bicester, East Berkshire (Bracknell), East Berkshire (Maidenhead), East Berkshire (Slough), High Wycombe, Milton Keynes, Oxford and South Oxfordshire, Reading, West Berkshire (Newbury) Magistrates' Courts.</p><p> </p><p>0845 200 2078 is used by Chester, South Cheshire (Crewe), Liverpool and Knowsley, Macclesfield, Runcorn (Halton), Sefton, St Helens, Warrington, Wirral Magistrates' Courts.</p><p> </p><p>0845 601 0485 is used by Harrogate, Northallerton, Shipton, York Magistrates' Courts.</p><p> </p><p>0845 310 0575 is used by Cambridge, Peterborough Magistrates' Courts.</p><p> </p><p>The following Magistrates' Courts have higher-rate numbers which are not shared:</p><p>Leamington Spa (0845 521 2300)</p><p>Nottingham (0845 408 3500)</p><p> </p><p>Pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2014 (191689), 19 higher rate numbers to the County Court Bulk Centre in Northampton are in the process of being replaced by 0300 numbers. The higher-rate number for Central London Combined Court Centre has been discontinued. Taking into account these further reductions in higher-rate numbers, the percentage fall in higher-rate numbers since 2009 is 79% compared to the 55% previously stated.</p><p>Magistrates' Courts' and County Courts use a total of ten higher-rate numbers, sharing them for queries about fines, family matters, etc. Twenty-one of the Magistrates' Courts' using higher rate numbers offer alternative 0300 numbers.</p><p>As stated in previous answers to parliamentary questions, the Department's approach is not to use higher rate numbers and instead, wherever possible, to assign 0300 numbers, for which the tariff is similar to calling an 01 or 02 (geographic) number, whether the caller is using a fixed line or a mobile phone —see: <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm131120/text/131120w0001.htm#131120113000070" target="_blank">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm131120/text/131120w0001.htm#131120113000070</a></p><p>and</p><p><a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130322/text/130322w0001.htm#13032267000050" target="_blank">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130322/text/130322w0001.htm#13032267000050</a></p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara previous answer version 8218 answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead